Klarinet Archive - Posting 000892.txt from 2000/08

From: Neil Leupold <leupold_1@-----.com>
Subj: RE: [kl] Marketing issues
Date: Sun, 27 Aug 2000 21:36:47 -0400

--- Gene Nibbelin <gnibbelin@-----.com> wrote:

> If my memory serves me correctly from my security analysis/portfolio manager
> days, DeWalt was acquired by Black & Decker a number of years ago. It was a
> good move by B & D.

<Patience. I do try to make this slightly relevant in the second paragraph.>

At the time of the case study, DeWalt was already a Black & Decker
product line, albeit not aggressively marketed, so the acquisition
must have preceeded their decision to sub-brand their tradesmen and
industrial lines under the DeWalt brand. B&D had been stewing for
some time over their lackluster market share in the tradesmen and
industrial power tools market segments. This underutilized but well-
regarded brand (DeWalt) turned out to be their semi-holy grail, al-
though it would have been somewhat more dramatic had they acquired
DeWalt specifically to address the market share issue. Share stats
rose appreciably as they stepped up their efforts to market DeWalt
to professional tradesmen. I don't have current stats (and I'm no
longer interested enough in MBA stuff to seek them out), but I sus-
pect B&D is still doing quite well beyond the household powered tools
niche.

Okay, this is distinctly unrelated to clarineting, but I'm sure some-
body could draw analogies between the B&D/DeWalt story and, say, what
the respective major pro-line clarinet makers are doing relative to
the marketing of their intermediate and student line brands. Buffet
markets them under its professional brand name. LeBlanc, in addition
to semi-pro models under its own name, has Vito. Wasn't there also
Noblet at one point? Selmer has Bundy or whatever other student brand
represents their non-pro stable of clarinets. I assume Yamaha is just
Yamaha, regardless of pro vs. intermediate vs. student.

Neil

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